


Five Times Tony Messes Up

by Lightning515



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:41:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25838218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightning515/pseuds/Lightning515
Summary: ... and the (first) Time He Gets It Right.Or: Tony is trying to be a good mentor. Really. He just doesn't know what that involves yet.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Five Times Tony Messes Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [salix_woods](https://archiveofourown.org/users/salix_woods/gifts).



> I'm _terrible_ at summaries. But wow my first 5+1 fic! Also thank you WaiiKitsune for this sudden, last minute beta-ing!   
> Happy birthday kilala2tail!! \\( ﾟヮﾟ)/ Hopefully you like (the start of) this fic~

The whole ferry incident left Tony shaken more than he would like to admit. He had taken the suit away to teach Peter a lesson, to emphasize that being a superhero was more than having a nice suit and completing dangerous missions and proving oneself. The stunt that Peter had pulled showed him a boy who didn’t understand the full consequences of his actions, who wasn’t ready to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. A child with endless potential and a heart purer than any of the Avengers, but the world was too harsh and cruel. 

It wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed the amount of effort that Peter puts into being Spider-Man. Peter tries  _ so hard _ and gives it his all, no matter what he was facing, be it a small-time purse-snatcher or a full-blown bank robbery. Peter has all the makings of an Avenger, one that people should actually be looking up to, not the mess that they became after  _ That. _ He would love to see Peter grow and become the next leader of the Avengers, but right now, he just wasn’t ready. Peter was too young, too  _ innocent _ , too  **_inexperienced_ ** . 

(Really, he just didn’t want to see Peter hurt again. The look of devastation on Peter’s face and the desperate attempt to keep the ferry from completely splitting in half left a chill in Tony’s bones that he never wanted to feel again. The realization that he had fucked up one too many times and that, yet again, someone else was going to pay for  _ his  _ mistake. A child should never feel the weight of that.)

God, he’s just a  _ child _ .

Compared to Tony, who was old and scared and  _ jaded  _ and  **_tired_ ** , Peter was just a child, young and bright and _still_ _ innocent _ .

If it was up to Tony, he would find a way to reverse what the radioactive spider did so that Peter could live a normal life as a normal teenager. Sure, as a hero, you get the chance to save so many lives but, in the end you lose so much more. (He lost so much over the years, and he can’t  _ bear _ losing another. Not because of him, not because of his inability to protect those close to him.) He didn’t want Peter to experience that. So Tony did the only thing he could: take away Peter’s suit. 

And then,  _ of course _ , the boy went out of his way to find trouble anyways.

* * *

Peter proved him  _ wrong _ , managing to not only take on Toomes without his suit but also save his technology from being stolen at the same time. Happy had told Tony all about it, calling him right after he was contacted by Peter’s friend. Without hesitation, Tony had F.R.I.D.A.Y. scanning for any signs of the young spiderling along the aircraft’s flight path. What F.R.I.D.A.Y. found was the aftermath, Toomes captured on the beach amid the burning remains of the aircraft. 

(F.R.I.D.A.Y. also found Peter, slightly battered and burned, watching from the top of the ferris wheel until Happy arrived. Tony found himself watching the cameras carefully, making sure Peter got home safely.)

Peter showed Tony that he had what it takes to be an Avenger. Tony was impressed, and offered him a place on the team. Then, he could officially take Peter under his wing, without all of the secrecy and hiding from the Accords.

And yet, Peter managed to surprise him again. Decided to be a “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” instead, doing deeds for the little guy. In the back of his mind, he wondered what  _ had _ happened between him and Toomes that would change his mind, when he was previously practically begging for a place on the team just a few days ago.

(He would later regret not asking more about this incident.)

Tony swore to do better for Peter. He  _ would _ do better. He organized a time for him to train with Peter, to teach him as well as give him guidance. It was like a more official start to his unofficial internship. They were going to meet once a week for several hours. Two weeks passed without incident and Tony was starting to  _ relax  _ as Peter warmed up to him.

He should have known it wouldn't last long.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me at [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/Chibichibichu) or check my profile for other places to find me :)


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